There is Always Time
by GrellSutcliffeTheRipper
Summary: Marrying for love was a rarity among the elite. But Haruhi wasn't about to settle for anything less, and jilts Tamaki at the altar. Almost instantly she finds herself in a love triangle with two of the darkest men she's ever had the pleasure of meeting. Nothing is as she had planned - and she would have it no other way.
1. Chapter 1

My dress was the traditional white – purer than untouched snow – and trailed for what seemed miles behind me. I felt miniscule in the garment as I watched my reflection finger at the intricate lace that began flowing out from my waist. Hikaru and Kaoru had wanted to design my dress as one of my many wedding gifts but it wasn't to be. Their designs didn't live up to his expectations supposedly. The veil was slotted into the bun at the top of my head – short, tight curls framing my face. Maybe I should straighten them out. It didn't look right, it didn't look right at all.

The venue was grandiose even by the standards of the elite company that I had considered by closest friends. I knew they were all waiting for me impatiently on the other side of those mahogany doors but it wasn't time yet. There was still time.

So I sat. Luxury surrounded me, suffocated; there was never any shortage any more. Yet I was more comfortable on the ground in this moment. My dress bundled up enough to act as a cushion I suppose. The thought that the lace may rip did run through my mind for a moment but I dismissed it – nobody would notice, and if they did, I wasn't to care.

For weeks now I had wished just to be alone with my thoughts. Wedding planners and caterers and musicians and well-wishers and hundreds of others had piled into the house to fill up what little time I had. But now that all I had to keep me company was the silence, I wanted nothing more than for someone to walk through those doors and smile at me. And I would smile back. Everything would be okay.

Who was I trying to kid? My heart was pounding and my palms clammy. I waited for the palpitations to calm down but they refused to falter.

"Haruhi?" The low grumble of Mori's voice rang loud in the room. I cautiously glanced up at the man who watched me curiously. His footfalls that were usually so light echoed as they approached. "Ready?"

Our eyes met and he knew. Gently he hoisted me onto my feet and held me steady as I adjusted to the heels. He seemed to be made of stone as I clung to his forearms for stability and it made me realise how fragile I was in comparison.

"Is my father ready yet?" I whispered to hide my shaking voice.

A low chuckle rumbled in his chest, "Still can't pick a lipstick."

"He never can. But that's alright; he'll end up wearing the red. That's his favourite, and mine."

He didn't respond, just watched the clock. Dad should be wandering in any moment now, most likely with Kyoya in tow. Never one to pass up the opportunity off telling me I picked the wrong host and Kyoya was always his favourite for some reason.

As predicted, Kyoya entered with my father on his arm exactly on twelve o'clock. His discomfort was enough to bring a smirk to my face but it was short lived as I caught a glance through the door at the packed room. The palpitations return with a vengeance and I shook like never before.

Slate grey eyes narrowed. He knew. Shadow King always knew. "It's time. Are you ready?" The slight inflection hinted that he was questioning much more.

"Of course she's ready!" He waved Kyoya off and toddled towards me in mile high heels. "Oh, you look so beautiful~! It brings a tear to Daddy's eye. But I can't have my mascara running in front of all these millionaires wandering around!"

I took comfort in the light floral perfume he wore. It was the one my mum had always worn and for a moment I imagined it was her that I was embracing. What would she think of her daughter in this moment? Would she think I was beautiful in such a dress? Would she be proud if I walked down that aisle?

Dad pulled away and linked my arm through his own, puffing out his chest in a proud display. Mori and Kyoya were quick to leave and take their places at the front of the grand hall.

Ageha pranced down the aisle in the most beautiful dress – tossing the rose petals as she went. Following closely behind, Kaoru led Renge in a partially awkward pace. Hikaru marched down with a French lady on his arm, a friend of Tamaki from his years with his mother no doubt. Finally, Mori led Mei – who had agreed to forego the fake tan on this occasion = down to the front. It was picturesque, perfect even, yet I froze.

"Haruhi? Remember to breathe, honey." Gentle words cracked my composure, but I still managed to start walking. Seconds dragged by like months as we continued the ascent to the altar.

Honey beamed at me as he held tightly to a plush velvet pillow. Two platinum rings lay comfortably upon the scarlet fabric and shone fiercely. Kyoya stood beside his best friend and provided a crooked smile but could not meet my eye.

The blonde Frenchman was the last to turn and look upon me with wide amethyst eyes. In an instant he appeared to melt and a goofy smile crossed his features in a way which used to endear me. This time I faltered and lost my footing. My father steadied me as I smoothly recovered but I did not continue to move.

"Haruhi? What's wrong?" My father questioned in a hushed yet panicked tone.

I looked into his eyes and tried to make my mouth work even just for a minute. "I-I'm sorry…"

Next thing I knew I was off like a shot up the aisle and the room was in an uproar. I heard several people call my name and I could pick out the panicked voices of Hikaru, Kaoru, Honey and Kyoya but not of the man I was supposed to marry this day.

Once I had found my way out of the maze of a building, I continued up the courtyard and toward the exit. People who had been denied access were watching with fascination as I rushed past them. I heard an audible tear as the lace of my dress caught and tore on a rock, jerking me backwards onto my rear with an ungraceful thud.

"Haruhi!" Panting voices called out to me but I couldn't face them. Arms wrapped around me from behind and two bodies clung to me. "You're crazy. What the hell are you doing?!"

"I think it's quite obvious what just happened."

"Hush," Honey butted in and shot the trio a stern look that was unbefitting of his soft features. "Now is not the time for fighting, ne? Limo, now!"

At the ex-loli-shota's command, the men obeyed without question. The five men bundled me into the closest available limousine with no time to waste. It was only now that my heart began to calm itself and reality set in. Tamaki would never forgive me for this.


	2. Chapter 2

"What were you thinking…?" Hikaru grasped me tightly by the shoulders and shook me firmly. It was impossible to meet his stare.

"Nothing… Everything… What does it matter now?" With a shove, I was released from his grip and sent him tumbling to the plush floor of the limousine. Tears began to leak down my face and streak my makeup. I held nothing back as the sobs rocked my body violently. Kaoru pulled me flush against him, hushing and babbling in an attempt to calm me. His brother dislodged my veil and let the curls cascade so he could stroke at my hair from his awkward position on the floor.

"What matters now is returning you home. I'll take care of Tamaki," the collected voice of Kyoya answered me. His tentative hand rubbed circles into the bare skin of my back. The small show of affection may not have seemed like much but I was grateful just to be considered worth of his time. It did feel like I was stealing Tamaki's only support system however; he would only have his father to comfort him and that wasn't a comforting thought.

"Someone should go back to Tamaki. He needs you guys more than I do right now."

Kaoru prodded me sharply in the side, "Don't be ridiculous, I'm not leaving you now."

"Who's volunteering?" Hikaru murmured, watching his friends expectantly. I knew he wouldn't be leaving any time soon and that was for the best.

When silence met Hikaru, Honey stepped in once again to take charge where our Shadow King would usually revel in the power of gaining control. "Kyo-chan? Takashi?"

Mori grunted in agreement; Kyoya reluctantly glancing over the Hitachiins with a dubious expression before nodding. I watched from the corner of my eye as the third Ootori son leant in close to Honey and whispered briefly but nobody asked why. The limousine stopped and let them exit before speeding off once again.

My crying had drained me – the sobs ceased but the tears were still trickling down my face and onto Kaoru's once crisp white shirt. I'd hate to imagine how much the garment had cost and attempted to push it from my mind.

For the rest of the drive, we were silent, all in our own personal bubbles of thought. Back in the days of high school and the host club I would make a game out of narrating their inner dialogue in an attempt to make the day pass by faster. Hours were wasted imagining what crazy things ran through their thoughts when I should have been listening to the teachers and studying. Observing Kaoru, he was relaxed, collected, empty – it was easy to imagine white noise was filling his skull. In stark contrast, Hikaru shook with an inner fury of confusion. His thoughts resembled a wrestling match gone mad, in my imagination. Honey was the hardest to interpret – always had been. On the outside he was all sugar, rainbows and cuteness. Inside could be anything – on occasion his aura depicted anger, upset, even regret – thankfully it was rare that I ever noticed an off-kilter demeanour but it was those times that reminded me he wasn't childlike any longer.

Upon pulling up to the second Hitachiin mansion, the chauffeur hurried us out of the vehicle and up the driveway out of sight. Hikaru and Kaoru's own home was a great deal smaller than their mother's but it was surpassed it in modernity and extravagance. Everything adhered to the colour scheme of black, white, gold and chrome – except for the drawings Ageha had done especially for them which were framed and hung throughout the building.

Hikaru swept me away towards one of their studios – an act that usually filled me with horror as it surely meant trying on a multitude of insane clothing. It took him a moment to select a comfortable outfit in silence. I followed the movements of his hands as he delicately flipped through the racks; it was strange to see him take such care with an object when he was always so brash. It wasn't until my dress began to slip from my frame that I realised I was staring into space and a scarlet-faced Hikaru was loosening the corset of my wedding dress.

Eventually it fell to my feet, as if I had just hatched from an egg into a whole new world and I could finally breathe. I turned to Hikaru who was still blushing like mad and awkwardly trying to tug a sweater over my head. It's not as though this was the first time he had seen me in such little clothing but I swiftly allowed him to cover me up just so I could cling onto him in a bone shattering hug.

"Hey," he returned the gesture without hesitation. "At least let me get you properly dressed before anyone walks in and thinks I'm taking advantage."

"You wouldn't do that," I mumbled into his shoulder.

A dry laugh, "duh. Not like the thought didn't cross my mind though."

"Still teasing me even after I just jilted your best friend at the altar; you're an odd one."

"I'm odd? You just passed up the life most girls could only dream of."

He was right of course, but people had been telling me my whole life that I wasn't quite like most girls. Plenty of girls would have killed for that wedding, to marry that man, but I wasn't one of them it seems.

Despite his attempts to usher me into more clothing, I merely clung to him and refused to move. It didn't take long for him to give in and recognise the futility in his actions. We crumbled to the ground.

Honey appeared not long after, his face much softer than it had been for the past hour. "Haru-chan? Hika-chan? You could have at least gotten her dressed."

"Stubborn," Hikaru coughed. It seemed like too much energy to scold him, so I just nodded timidly.

The blonde was quick to snatch up some baggy trousers and to sort me out. Unlike Hikaru, Honey seemed to feel no embarrassment in helping me remove my heels, hosiery and garter. Seeing each part of the ensemble be discarded into a careless pile tugged at something inside of me. A smile crept onto my face. Honey watched me all the while with an unbridled curiosity.

"I'm free…" I choked out.

Both boys looked at me strangely, trying to figure out what I was referring to. "Huh?"

"I-I'm actually free."


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: So, this story needs a pairing that I have yet to decide upon. Open to reader suggestions :) drop me a message or leave it in a review and I'll think it over!~ 

* * *

Both boys just watched me as I began to break down into tears yet again, but this time it didn't feel quite as sad. It was like a release of all the pressure that had been building up inside of me. Without a word, the pair bundled me up and brought me to the bedroom I would usually reside in when the Hitachiin twins demanded I stay. Honey held me in firm arms and slid me under the blankets, following me soon after. The silk sheets were like ice, but their bodies sandwiched against me in an ultimate entanglement of ice and fire.

"You guys are having a party and didn't invite me?" Kaoru peeked around the edge of the door before sauntering in. He was followed my their favourite maid who held a tray laiden with sugary treats and a teapot - I could tell I wouldn't be getting any of the pastries however.

Kaoru kicked off his shoes and loosened his trousers till they fell to the floor. The maid immediately collected them as he slipped in beside his brother and attempted to stretch his arm across all three of us.

"Are you going to talk about it, Haru-chan?" Honey hummed quietly.

"I..." My mind tried to formulate a coherent sentence. "I want to marry someone who makes me melt inside. Someone who surprises me when I didn't think there were any surprises left to be had. Someone I love."

Hikaru asked tensely, "And Tamaki...?"

Suddenly feeling drained, I hid my face in the crook of Honey's neck. "I'm tired."

"Just sleep. Kyoya and Mori are taking care of everything," Kaoru's fingers combed through my curls and massaged at my scalp. "We're right here."

When I awoke, it was obvious that there were less bodies in the bed, but the hour was of no clue to me. Dim light flooded the room from the bedside lamp and cast everything in a faint orange tone. I could almost imagine it was from the sun that was just rising, informing the world that it was a new day. Looking up, mishevelled blonde hair met me but it wasn't the same blonde that I was used to waking up to. The Haninozuka's head was buried in the pillow; his arm curled around my waist. The strawberry scent of Honey's hair was soothing and I was afraid to move incase I woke him.

It didn't take long for the details of the day to crash down and break my peace of mind. My muscles tensed; how could I have slept? I had caused too much chaos to have been sleeping. Too much had to be taken care of. But how was I supposed to face Tamaki after today? It was ridiculous to even assume he'd look at me now.

"About time," the impassive voice of Kyoya sounded through the room. I jumped at the noise and in turn jolted Honey awake. The raven haired man was lounging in a plush leather chair in the corner, having changed from his tuxedo to a more casual shirt and what I could only assume were some of the Hitachiin's pyjama bottoms. A book laid across his knee, but it was in a language I couldn''t recognise.

Honey shifted drowsily to glare at the offender. "How long have you been sitting there waiting?"

"I'd hardly call it waiting. It was about time I caught up on leisurely reading," he replied very matter-of-factly. Placing the book aside, he leant forward and eyed us expectantly. "However, both Hikaru and Kaoru have been up for several hours now and are probably getting impatient."

"Aren't you tired?" I asked out of curiosity. In honesty, it would have been nice if he had joined us, but I knew that was well beyond the comfort zone of the Shadow King. Going back to sleep seemed like my best option.

He chuckled and arose from his seat, "Late nights are standard for an Ootori, Haruhi."

Making a swift exit, the room was once again quiet, but I knew it wouldn't last all that long. I glanced up at Honey only to find him gazing at me and averting his eyes quickly. Ignoring it, I made myself comfortable against his side. It was still odd that he was taller than me now, shaking the image of a middle-schooler wasn't an easy task. His features were more defined as the baby fat had melted away through his years at university to make him appear much closer to his own age.

"Are you going to come stay here with Hika-chan and Kao-chan then?" He asked me out of the blue. It hadn't crossed my mind where I would go now, but he was right; I couldn't go back to the Suoh mansion and it would take time to have a place of my own sorted out.

"I couldn't say..." I mused. "Doubt that they will give me any other options though."

"There's always a room for you at my home. Takashi's too. In fact, we'd all be happy to have you - don't let Kyo-chan know I said that though, he would probably object."

"My lips are sealed. But thank you," I shot him a crooked smile. "I appreciate the offer. It wouldn't be for long, I'm sure I could have somewhere for myself sorted within a week or so."

He appeared to fall into thought for a moment before beaming at me in excitement. "Our families have plenty of property, Haru-chan. We can let you use one for as long as you'd like."

A heavy sigh escaped my lips, "I need to fix this for myself though. It's my own mess to clear away."

"As independent as ever. No wonder Tama-chan couldn't get you to settle down."

His words weren't intended to hurt, but it hit deep. Again, he was right. The idea of being a little house-wife to Tamaki while maids, chefs, nannies, gardeners, butlers and whatever other staff wandered the Suoh mansion waited of me hand and foot was a terrifying prospect. When I didn't reply, Honey hugged me closer in a silent apology.


	4. Chapter 4

"Great, you're up!" The Hitachiin's cheered in unison. Both brothers bounded into the room like a stampede, ran to my side and pounced onto the mattress. "Kyoya is having all of your possessions collected right now, so you can officially call this your room now!"

I blinked. And again. They were still there. Smiling giddily mere inches from my face as the information really began to sink in. Raising my hand, I slowly replied, "hold on a second, this is all a bit too fast."

The blonde next to me peeked out from under the covers to groan out in a weak protest. "Yeah, let her pick where she's going to stay for the time being."

"Her stuff won't fit back at her Dads," Hikaru reminded him bluntly. "So of course she'll be staying here."

I watched as Honey started to shift upright in order to argue with them further so I decided to interject and put an end to it before anything started. "Honey offered me a room as well, guys."

They seemed surprised at that snippet of information, finally realising that there were three others in the room all willing to put up with me on a short term basis. Mori wandered into the room with Kyoya in tow; both eyed us all curiously and quietly took up spots on the bed.

"I have a room spare for you too, Haruhi," came Mori's calming tone. "If you would like it, that is."

"I think we may be overwhelming her," Kyoya pointedly snapped his eyes to Hikaru and Kaoru in warning. Both men cowered into one another, almost attempting to melt into the silk sheets. Once satisfied that they would be arguing no further, he turned to me with a faint smile. "Consider your options, Haruhi. Tamaki did ask that you stay at the Ootori mansion or one of our estates, but I believe that's enough to make you say no."

"You thought correctly," I grumbled in response, but was grateful for his input on the matter. Following orders of my ex-fiance wasn't very high in my priorities, plus it wasn't fair to take up residence in his best friend's home. As if I didn't feel guilty enough already. Glancing over each of the men before me, I considered the pros and cons of living with each individual. Hikaru and Kaoru would try to help me with a serious case of retail therapy - that I definitely could not afford; Honey would cause me to gain at least ten pounds if I stayed with him for just a week; I couldn't burden Kyoya, he would probably put me back into debt; Mori however, would most likely just leave me be. My eyes rested on him as I finalised my decision, "I'm not sure... Mori, are you sure it would be okay to stay with you?"

A subtle smile tugged at his lips as he nodded in affirmation, "stay as long as you want."

Hikaru and Kaoru slumped and crumbled on the mattress in a fit of disapproval, "but Ha-ru-hiiiiii!"

With a heavy sigh, I let them glare at me for a moment as I pretended to contemplate their objection. "Next time I jilt someone at the altar, I'll come and stay with you two, sound fair?"

"Do it some time soon then!" Hikaru huffed, but I could tell he was amused deep down by the way he glanced away to hide it.

Kaoru reached across his brother to pinch my cheek in a teasing torment. "We need a cutie like you around here to keep us entertained."

"Shut up."

"The arrangements have been made. Shall I make Tamaki aware of your circumstances or...?"

"I should face him myself, but thank you, Kyoya."

"Good, because he's been waiting outside for about an hour now."

"What!?"

"It didn't seem the best time to tell you just as you had awoken. And he refused to leave without some kind of explanation."

A migraine was beginning to strike me down. When I had said that I had to face Tamaki myself, I did not expect it to be right now. Maybe in a week, or a month. but I guess I had to get it out of the way. Put us both out of our misery. "Fine, whatever, bring him in."

Hikaru, Kaoru and Kyoya all bustled out of the room in a semi-orderly fashion.

"Are you okay?" Mori murmured as he sat down beside us. His fingers ruffled my hair affectionately before doing the same to his elder cousin. The stoic man had always treated me like a younger sister and strived to protect me from a fair amount of the old host club's shenanigans.

Pushing aside my feelings of guilt, I smiled up at him crookedly. "I will be. Thank you for letting me stay with you. I just wish I had more warning before I had to talk to him... I must look a mess."

"Not at all," he grunted. Making to stand, he reached out for my hand. "Come."

Warily, I followed, guided into the en suite. He gestured for me to sit as he produced a facial wipe and began to dab gingerly at my face. The amount of brown and black that stained the cloth made me wonder just how much makeup had been put on me that morning; my cheeks blazed and wouldn't obey when I silently begged them to cool.

"Are you okay?" he asked, pressing the back of his hand against my forehead to check my temperature. "Are you ill?"

"No, no. It's just, the idea of wandering around looking like a raccoon all day. I don't wear makeup for a reason," I grumbled.

Mori shrugged, clearly not thinking very much of my dishevelled appearance. "Then don't."

His blunt and overtly simplicitic response was enough to humour me. It had been a quite a long time since I had spent any time alone with Mori; I had forgotten how simple the interaction was in comparison to most I encountered through my time at Ouran and university. In that moment I knew that I had made the right choice in who to stay with as I adapted to life on my own. He wouldn't challenge my independence, or accidentally stifle my attempts to move on.

"Ready?" For the second time that day he asked me that question, and again I knew I definitely wasn't prepared. But I would bite the bullet regardless.


	5. Chapter 5

Tamaki was stood there like a statue; hand resting against the wall, admiring a wall hanging as he waited. He knew I was there. Keeping me waiting was just his own way of building suspense, increasing the drama. So I just stood. Waited. Watched. He was still wearing his tuxedo from the wedding, minus the scarlet bow tie he had spent so long picking out of the brochures. Night had long since fallen and he hadn't bothered to switch on a light upon entering - I suspected he did it on purpose to make the encounter gloomier; matching the mish mash of anguish and heartache.

"Haruhi..." a melancholy mumble escaped my slightly parted lips, but he didn't turn to look at me just yet. "I have so many questions that I barely know where to begin."

I did mean to respond, but when I went to speak, I was frozen. The air in the room was suddenly thick with emotion; tense and angry. With the sudden urge to run away, I wished that we hadn't been left alone. Eventually he turned on his heel and eyed me indifferently. I can't say that I expected to be met with open arms, but I didn't expect apathy. Screaming, unconstrained rage and viciousness would have been easier to deal with than that one look.

"Are you just going to stand there? Am I not worthy of a reply?"

Unable to meet his eye, I found an interesting patch of ground to focus on as the silence stretched on. "What do you want me to say, Tamaki?"

"So it's back to Tamaki. No more Tama, Tama-kun. No more sweetie, darling, love." He mused, the bitterness in his voice escalating with every syllable. "I wanted to marry you, I still do. It's normal to get scared, even to get cold feet as they say, but you do not run out on the man that loves you more than anyone else on this planet. You just don't."

Grasping my chin inbetween his thumb and index finger, he tilted my chin up to face him full on much like he would whenever he wanted to kiss me. But his features were icy and unforgiving - the old warmth lost. His grip tightened as he tried to illict an answer. Chocolate met amethyst, weakness met force. "Maybe we loved each other at one point, but I can't honestly say that what we have is love. Not for a long while. Nothing about this is right."

"What I had was love!" Tamaki snapped, pushing away from me and stamping across the room. "You just kept stringing me along! Did I do something wrong? Because if I did then I'm sorry, we can talk about it, work on it. All I want is for you to come home with me tonight, but I doubt that's going to happen. Which of them is it, huh? Which one of my best friends are you sleeping with?! I have a right to know!

Tears burned a trail down my face as I let loose and shouted in return, "I never strung you along, Tamaki! There is no one else, and I can't believe that you would even accuse me - let alone your best friends - of such a thing. I'm sorry that this is how it ended but I couldn't go through with it!"

"You're sorry?" The quiet utterance filled the room. In an instant he was upon me, holding me roughly against the wall as tears streamed down his cheeks as well. "You're sorry?!"

"Tamaki," Kyoya slammed the door behind himself before rushing to break us apart. Putting his body between us, keeping me pressed against his back, he calmly stared his friend down. "I think you need to leave."

"Why are you standing up for her?" The confusion laced his angry tone. "She's the one in the wrong here! Just because I won her over before the rest of you, I saw the way you used to look at her. As if nobody else noticed."

"Out," he growled. "Now."

Fury burned between the pair until Tamaki spun on the spot and stalked out of the room. I could finally breathe again. My back met the wall and I slid to the plush carpeted floor in a heap. Kyoya took his time to turn and glimpse down at me; getting down on his knees and pulling me into his arms was the unexpected response that made me cling to him all the more.

He didn't speak, so neither did I. Our breath laid heavy against heated skin and I attempted to recover from the shock. I had never seen Tamaki so angry before, I didn't think he was capable of such rage. But the aching in my wrists were he held me against the wall was enough to ensure me it was a reality. So I just focused on the racing pulse of the man who protected me. The twitching of Kyoya's arms was enough to make me pick up on his conflict; he shouldn't be here. I took the initiative and pushed away from him very slightly and he followed suit.

"Are you okay?" he asked, composing himself. I watched as the mask fell back into place and the ever distant Kyoya shrunk back into the shadows. In a desperate blunder, I took hold of his shirt collar and forcefully pressed my lips to his. It could hardly be called romantic, neither could he ever believe I was a proficient kisser after this but what did I really have to lose anymore? For a moment he froze and I was sure he would simply toss me aside like the stupid girl I was acting like, but the next he had me pinned to the floor, crushing our bodies tightly together in a frenzy. Every little part of me melted. It was rough, passionate, needy. Nothing like I had expected, but so much better.

"No, Haruhi," he mumbled as he broke away for air, starting to come to his senses. "This stops now."

Yet, he still kissed me again.


	6. Chapter 6

The flame had to fizzle out at some point. I was drained emotionally and now physically. His head rested in the crook of my neck where he occasionally planted a kiss as we calmed and came to the realisation of what had just occurred. On one hand, I was quite content to lay here on the plush carpet floor and have my neck kissed by a gorgeous man. On the other, this was wrong on so many levels that I wanted to cry, laugh and panic all at the same time. So I remained quiet until the screaming inside of my head began to subside and let me think clearly.

I don't know how long we just rested there. It gave me a fright when Kyoya lifted himself up effortlessly and went to stand, almost ignoring my presence. With a heavy sigh, he glanced over me in frustration. "Don't worry, this never happened. I'm not stupid."

"Huh?" I murmured, still in a state of complete confusion. "I wasn't going to say anything of the sort, Kyoya."

"You just left my best friend this morning; using me as a form of revenge or simply as a release of frustration is understandable to some extent," he spoke so casually, almost as though he were trying to play it down. "So you decide, this happened or it did not. It doesn't leave this room regardless. Either way, I gain nothing beside a pleasureable ten minutes and a night long headache."

That last sentence was like a kick in the ribs; I should have expected this. It wasn't like he was about to change at the flick of a switch. In fact, I feel like I had pushed him even further away from me than he had ever been in the nine years I had known him. "Kyoya..."

"Get up. Mori will want to go home soon."

Not only did I feel dejected, but I felt guiltier than ever. I had used him, attacked upon seeing the first sign of vulnerability - something expected very much from Kyoya, not from myself. It was deplorable and even asking for his forgiveness was ridiculous. He rebuttoned the top of his shirt and combed through his hair briefly, not appearing to be bothered about anything going on around him or who might wander in. I pulled my sweater sleeves down over my fists and curled up against the wall, letting myself wallow in self loathing for a little while longer.

"Haruhi?" Mori walked in, catching me in his sights and rushing to my aid. "What happened?"

Kyoya appeared graven when he turned to us, "Tamaki responded quite badly as you would expect. Even going as far as to get hands on until I interupted."

I refused to open my eyes again after that in fears of crying for the hundredth time of the day. Mori scooped me up in one fluid motion and carried me much like a doll out of the room. We met Honey at the front door; the limousine waiting as always.

The whole journey they watched me. Their eyes burned. Nothing was said and I was thankful. Just the thought of explaining it to the pair made me nauseous and the lump in my throat more and more prominent. It felt like an eternity before I was lifted up once again and carried ever so carefully into another house. The chill of the night air brought me out in goosebumps but it was mildly refreshing.

"Haruhi?" Mori's low baritone rumbled. "Do you want us to stay with you?"

When I didn't reply, I could feel the softest of sighs escape his lips and hit my face. He laid me on the bed; I curled up instantly, tucking my knees under my chin. Then I felt two bodies lay down on either side of me. Neither touched me, but their presence was there and it was comforting.

"I think we should get a doctor to check you." Mori pondered from behind me, trying to nudge me into speaking. "Kyoya will have someone over in a matter of minutes."

"No," I blurted out weakily in protest.

Honey shifted uncomfortably, edging away from me even more. "Takashi, if she needs left alone, we should leave her."

"Not now," he insisted. I could still feel his eyes trained on me like a hawk. "I'll ask Nekozawa to stop round tomorrow."

"Nekozawa?" I was already aware that he had a home only a few houses down from Mori's, but I hadn't heard the name in several years now. Umehito Nekozawa was the previous president of the black magic club whilst we were at Ouran - and made plenty of visits to the Host Club to terrify Tamaki. It was almost like a hobby for the mad man.

"He studied medicine when he left Ouran, Haru-chan." Honey yawned out. "Runs a night clinic."

Taking that as the final say in the conversation I thought back over the years since I had left Ouran. It hadn't felt like so long but I guess that's because the host club had never left me alone ever since - I had been reliving it everyday for the last seven years. Now I was 25, an unemployed qualified lawyer, unmarried, childless. Nothing on my list of accomplishments was fully completed yet and that thought alone was daunting. As soon as I had graduated I was ready to go straight into practise, but Tamaki had asked me to take a break - enjoy the pleasures of living in the Suoh mansion for just a few months. I didn't need to work to live luxuriously. Arguing my own point was fruitless and a year later I was still at home everyday fighting over the cleaning duties with the maids in between wedding plans.

But this was my chance to finally follow through with my plans. With a sudden burst of confidence and motivation, I could have easily gotten up in that moment but with the moon hanging over us in the late of night, I decided against it and to once again sleep.

Tomorrow could only be a better day.


	7. Chapter 7

I finally have two pairings in mind~ Enjoy!

* * *

The bed was empty when I awoke in the early hours of the morning. Forever diligent, the sounds of the men practicing their martial arts crept in through the large glass pane window across the room. Their movements were fluid and captured me in their beauty, almost to the point where I didn't realise the extra person in the room

"Good morning, young Fujioka," the deep voice of Nekozawa floated over me. It was eerie and familiar, yet he no longer put the fake dracula tone on. "My presence was called for a reason, no?"

Turning to greet him, the difference in appearance was staggering. His blonde locks were no more. Now short and had dimmed to a light mousy brown that suited him brilliantly. No more cloak and hood - he stood tall in the typical doctor's overcoat with dark blue scrubs beneath. What was more astounding was that he could easily give Mori a run for his money in the height department. I felt so minuscule in that moment but I laughed and looked back out the window while I suppressed the feeling of inadequacy. "I'm not so young anymore, Nekozawa-san. It is good to see you doing so well."

"Avoiding the question. Hmmm," he tapped at his chin in mock thought, lips curled into a smirk. "Very interesting indeed."

"Mori and Honey thought I was ill. I'm fine, honestly. I'm very sorry for the inconvenience," I gestured towards the door as politely as I could. This meeting was completely unnecessary. I was most definitely not ill and wasting Nekozawa's time was plain rude.

He shook a solitary finger in front of his face in amusement. "I don't believe you! Everything about you screams 'I'm very much not okay and that I will never tell Umehito why!' but word of mouth travels fast and I have rather keen ears." His demeanor turned more serious as he took on a more professional and empathetic tone. "So, Fujikoka, I would appreciate honesty with your doctor, please."

"Just call me Haruhi, doctor." I grumbled, annoyed that he wasn't about to take the cue to leave. "What you've heard is possibly true, possibly not. I left Tamaki yesterday and that is the end of it."

"You're stressed." The words were matter-of-fact and left no room for argument. I glared at him with unrestrained irritation - then realising that that would only prove him right and glaring out of the window instead.

His footsteps echoed as he paced back and forth, eyes never leaving me. "Unsatisfied and stressed, yes, I can see it. How did you fair in law school, young Haruhi?"

"Top of my class. Why?" The change of topic caught my attention, a topic I approved of.

"Yet I have never heard of you working," pleased to see my interest piqued, he paused his pacing and leaned in towards me. "Why might that be?"

"No comment."

Pulling out a little black notebook, he flipped it open and noted down a series of words before tearing it out and handing it to me. It was a prescription pad I realised. My name had been neatly filled in but the drug he had prescribed was not a drug at all. I raised an eyebrow at the man, who smiled, bemused at the situation. "I diagnose you as bored. Unprofessional? Perhaps, but I'm no stranger to matters of depression and loneliness. How would you like a job, starting tonight?"

My mind came to a sudden halt as I processed the information. "Wait, what are you on about?"

Nekozawa took a seat on the edge of my bed and patter the spot next to him. I obliged cautiously, keeping a good amount of space between us. He daintily crossed one leg over the other and angled himself towards me, appearing very pleased. "Medical practices always need lawyers, young Haruhi. If you graduated top of your class then I deem you suitably qualified. The lack of medical experience doesn't matter too much. Surviving Ouran Academy is proof enough to me that you can cope with whatever the job throws at you. Yes, yes, you should join me."

"Am I allowed to think about it?" I drawled out, still surprised at the turn of events.

"Hmmm, I suppose," he muttered to himself then snapped back to reality and to me. "No! Of course you can. Take all the time you need."

"Then yes."

It was his turn to look surprised. But for only a moment before breaking into a grin and shaking my hand enthusiastically. "Very interesting indeed. I will be here at 11pm, sharp. Be ready."

And with that, he sauntered out of the room in a rather pleased mood. I was lost. Did I really just accept such an informal job proposition? I could see this being yet another roller coaster that I was most likely unprepared for, but an exciting ride nonetheless. A smile crept upon my face. Nekozawa was still weird, very much so, but I could deal with weird quite easily.

Finally alone I began my morning routine of showering and cleansing my head of terrible thoughts by belting out lyrics to my Dad's favourite songs. Climbing out of the shower, I caught a glimpse of myself in the shower. Although I may have filled out slightly in the past few years, my body still resembled that of a teenage boy. The only give away was my hair and I grew angry as I stared at it. Dripping locks clung to my face. I clawed through the cabinet in search of scissors. All I found were those tiny pairs made for nose hair, yet i took up a handful of my thin useless locks and began to saw through it with the useless implements.

My skin was dry by the time I had rid myself of the hair. It was uneven and scruffy but I knew how to style it, to hide that. The twins had passed on a lot of their makeup and styling knowledge to me that I pretended to disregard, but I knew it would come in handy eventually. I stepped back into the shower to rinse off the tiny flecks of hair that still clung to me - furious I had savaged them so.

This time when I looked in the mirror, I felt like I was looking at myself again. With a smile, I grabbed up a towel and wrapped it securely around me and went to collect my phone.

"Hikaru?" It had gone to voice mail. "I need you both here ASAP, bring some clothes and scissors."


	8. Chapter 8

"Wait?" Hikaru paused behind me, scissors poised. "So you were supposed to have a check up, but instead he just offered you a job?"

"Sounds about right."

He leaned down, resting his chin on my shoulder and flicking his eyes between his brother and I. "And you said yes. Then just cut all your hair off?"

"Terribly, I might add," Kaoru added between bites of popcorn.

"Yup."

Both men were silent for just a second before cracking up into a fit of laughter. Kaoru was the first to cry out inbetween gulps of air, "You're freakin' crazy."

"I love it," Hikaru added, shielding his scissors to avoid an accident.

"Yes. Crazy." I let them enjoy the situation for just a minute longer before snapping at the pair. "Now will you just fix the back of my head? There was no way I was gonna get it even."

Quickly composing himself, Hikaru took a few deep breaths to stop the laughter and began to properly examine my hair. The series of hisses and intakes of breath was enough to let me know I had messed up big time. "Really Haruhi, you should have called us before you started hacking away at it. This is a disaster zone. Hey, will you let me put highlights in your hair too? It'd look pretty sweet!"

"New life, new hair. Live a little!" Kaoru launched a few loose kernels of corn at us. He couldn't rid the amusement from his features as he scrutinised his brother's performance as well as my shoddy handiwork. "And remind me to never drunkenly hand Haruhi a pair of scissors, even in an emergency."

Huffing, I ground out my request to the scissor wielding Hitachiin without breaking my glare at the popcorn muncher. "I just want it fixed. If highlights are what will make you happy, then go ahead. Just don't make me look ridiculous or like a barbie doll, got it?!"

"Your wish is my command," He bowed deeply, flourishing the scissors with a flair. As he commenced the trimming of my hair, I relaxed back into the seat and trusted his handiwork. It had been years since I'd been in a real hairdressers - the Hitachiin's provided me with any and all beauty needs I could ever ask for, and never made a mess of the job. Hikaru's possessiveness always announced itself when I mentioned my hair needed cut. He would be determined to do the job himself with Kaoru watching from the sidelines as he let his creativity flow.

Kaoru looked up from his magazine to begin his routine interrogation, pondering colour palettes and matches to my skin tone. "What's it gonna be? Blondes, reds or maybe an ash tone?"

"Ah ah ah! I want this to be a surprise."

"No fair!" he whined in response, although his interest was obviously piqued.

We returned to silence, everyone in a bubble of their own thoughts but I was rapidly growing bored as the minutes ticked by. Glancing at my stack of old law textbooks, I caught Kaoru's attention with a whistle. "Pass me that book please, Kaoru."

"Only if you answer one question for me," lifting the book, he dangled it in front of his face to tease me. "And it has to be truthfully."

My arms crossed tightly across my chest. Was it worth it for the book? He was probably just going to ask me to dye my hair pink or something equally ridiculous, so I took my chances. "I might, if you promise to give me the book."

"Promised," a twisted smirk tugged at his lips. "Now. This is a two parter: Are you only taking this job to drown the past couple of days out? Because I think you're pushing yourself a little too hard. And secondly-"

Without warning, Hikaru tugged at the collar of my shirt and cut his brother off with a howl. "Who gave you the nasty love bite!?"

"What?!" Kaoru and I both yelped out in surprise. He rushed over to get a good look at the afflicted area as his brother examined it - mainly by prodding it with a finely manicured nail. This was far too embarrassing and I knew I wouldn't be able to hide anything from either man as soon as they caught sight of my beetroot cheeks and terrified expression.

"Was it Tamaki? Did he really try to hurt you...?" Hikaru softly muttered. His words broke my heart and I wasn't sure if it was better to tell him the truth or let him think one of his closest friends would actually force himself on me like that.

"He wasn't acting himself, you know that," I replied, stroking his cheek gently to soothe him. "But no, it wasn't him."

Their heads shot up and shook me firmly, demanding I put them out of their misery and kill the suspense. "Then tell us! Details, now!"

"Put the scissors down and I'll consider it, geez..." After I observed the men putting away the sharp implements, I settled into the chair more comfortably. Their confusion, excitement and all round energy seemed to fill the room with an electricity. It was very unfitting for the traditional and picturesque atmosphere that the Morinozuka mansion exuded.

"I did something stupid."

"Yeah, his name was Tamaki."

"Shut it," I ground out. "This isn't a laughing matter, and it better not leave this room. You hear me?!" With mock salutes, they agreed.

"Okay, well, Kyoya stopped Tamaki from doing anything too dumb. Although I doubt he would have really hurt me - he was just upset is all," I shot the pair a look as they began to stir with anger. "But still, Kyoya saved me, hugged me, tried to make sure I was okay. It was wrong. He should have been helping his friend instead of tending to me. And I kissed him."

Hikaru waved his arms wildly in the air, "Hold up, hold up. You. You kissed scary puss, Shadow King, overlord of controlling bastards?"

"Why would you do that?!" Kaoru shivered, struggling to imagine the experience for himself.

"Adrenaline? I don't know. It just seemed right in the moment, but he said to pretend it never happened. That I was just using him and that was fine, and that hurt." I could feel the tears welling up again, but I told myself that today I would not cry. There had been enough crying lately.

Two pairs of arms wrapped around me, "hey, it's alright. Don't take what he said to heart. You know what he's like - human emotions aren't his forte."

"I wasn't using him, I really wasn't..."


	9. Chapter 9

With a large help from the twins throughout the afternoon, I had several outfits lined up and a well-groomed head of hair complete with golden highlights. They had attempted to put some makeup on me as well, but there was no way in hell they were getting near me with it anytime soon. The woman looking back at me in the mirror looked much more like Haruhi Fujioka than I had felt in a long time and it filled me with a subtle confidence. I told myself over and over; I would make today a good day – or a good night, more like.

It would have been a good idea to take a nap before Nekozawa came to pick me up but my mind was too alert in order to sleep. My old law textbooks lay across the floor as I recapped as much as I could but chances were that I would just be getting acquainted with the staff and my new responsibilities. Either way, I was happy for the distraction.

Two firm knocks at the door signalled the arrival of Mori who waited patiently for me to answer and invite him in. His eyes widened marginally as he took in the current chaos of the room but disregarded it seconds later. I returned to the mirror to finish smoothing the creases out of my outfit and to simply kill time by this point.

"Excited?" Mori asked me from the doorway, eyeing my outfit with approval. Going with Kaoru's choice of a grey pinstripe pant suit, I exuded an understated professionalism.

"I'm not sure if I'm more excited or nervous anymore," we shared a hesitant smile. "Hopefully Nekozawa will take it easy on me for my first night."

"Don't worry." His long legs carried him to me in two long strides, easily avoiding the books. The usual ruffling of my hair followed and I grinned at the kind sentiment and the comfort it offered. Mori was swift to escape the mess and return to his own room for the night. Glancing at the clock, I counted the minutes I had left to wait. Twenty-three minutes.

I had enough time to partially clear the floor when the door to my bedroom began to slowly creak open. A rather pleased looking Nekozawa poked his head through the crack and grinned eerily. "Good, good, you're well prepared I see. First lesson: always be early! The night is unpredictable and we must always stay on top of the unexpected."

He let himself into the room despite the lack of greeting and casually began inspected my range of textbooks with interest. I pondered upon his first 'lesson'; it made sense to be early and to be prepared, however, "And how are we supposed to be prepared for that which is unpredictable?"

"That is to be the subject of tonight's lesson," he waved a slender finger at me as he finished reading. "You will learn the inner workings of the clinic and in turn our legal procedure. Who comes through those doors can be beggar or prince and be in need of a simple band aid or complex surgery, so nothing is predictable. Of course if the case is serious, we can only refer people onwards and upwards. Most of the time we can take care of whoever seeks our help in these dark hours!"

It was obvious that Nekozawa was still in the habit to talk and talk without providing straight forward answers, but his round about explanations both amused and intrigued me. I thought better of asking him anything else that could be mistaken for complex at least for the time being. "What are the working hours then, doctor?"

"As much as I like to be called doctor, please just call me Umehito." Something resembling a smirk crossed his features for a brief moment. "And that depends on the month and the day in terms of the clinic. However once you have been properly acquainted with our work place and staff, then you can choose to work days or nights or both. Lawyers are known to burn the midnight oil, no?"

Such a simple question elicited such a spiel, "Alright, Umehito, then I would like some details as to a contract of employment; temporary or otherwise. And apparently we are, I guess that I'll find that out soon enough."

"Heh, that shan't be a problem, it has already been prepared for your approval – or lack thereof –and to sign at the end of this shift. You should thank me, young Haruhi; tonight I will only subject you to a half shift. I'll have you home by 3am, well within Morinozuka's curfew I hope. But it is time for us to hurry, refer to lesson one!"

Without another word, he swung around and bustled out the room. I heaved a sigh and composed myself. I could do this. Patience and professionalism, Haruhi. Mori waved us farewell as we exited the mansion and watched us like a hawk until we had wandered out of sight. A simple black SUV was parked at the end of the street – very different from the limousines that my richer acquaintances frequented – and Umehito courteously held my door open before he clambered into the driver's seat.

The drive was reasonably short, made to feel longer by the lack of conversation as Umehito played with the radio and hummed loudly to whatever tune blasted from the speakers. Under the cover of darkness it was difficult to tell exactly where we were as we exited the vehicle. A young nurse met us at the door to the clinic and busied us inside, judging me with some level of suspicion.

The reception was small and cosy, minimalist in design and the lighting remained dimmed. A connecting waiting area could hold a dozen people or so; magazine stacks littered the modest space. Consultation rooms lined the adjoining hallway, finishing with a lone office and break room for the staff. Overall the building was humble and understated.

Following Umehito into the tiny office space, he spun around to face me and spread his arms outwards as if he were embracing the room.

"Welcome to the Nekozawa night clinic, my young Haruhi. I think you will fit in here just perfectly."


	10. Chapter 10

Tamaki perks up at the sound of my voice, but very quickly ducks his head and makes to exit the clinic. Fortunately enough for me, Michiko snatches the back of his shirt and hauls him backwards. The woman did not seem amused in the slightest judging by the twitching of her left eye and the pulsing vein evident on her forehead.

"Miss Fujioka, this man was trying to pay me in order to divulge privileged information, is it legal for me to kick his ass?!" She growled out, keeping her voice quiet in hopes that the patients nearby wouldn't notice the fuss.

Keeping myself calm and composed, I thought of what Mori or Kyoya might do in this situation: remove the problem without making a spectacle. "If he was trespassing, then it may have been possible, but not on this occasion. You can let him go; I'll have Dr Nekozawa deal with him."

"N-Nekozawa? Does he still have that puppet with him…?"

"Unlike some people, he's grown up, Tamaki." I bit out at the man cowering before me. Without another word I led him into the small office space I had called my own for the past hour. As soon as the door was securely shut behind us, I swivelled to the blonde buffoon and cornered him. "What the hell are you doing here?!"

"Well, um, you see, Mori wouldn't tell me where you were. Neither would the twins and when I called Honey it just put me straight to voicemail. So then when I asked Kyoya and he didn't know, I thought there was something serious wrong and I tracked your cell phone to find you…" His fingers were laced into the hair at the back of his head, scratching in nervous embarrassment. It was a habit that had once endeared me, but this was going too far.

"Why?"

He looked perplexed, "huh?"

"Why did you need to know where I am? It's a simple question."

It took a second for him to realise that I wasn't about to be swayed by puppy dog eyes and playing dumb. He straightened up and narrowed his amethyst eyes at me, "I thought you'd be ready to talk now! How was I supposed to know that you'd already have a job and have totally forgotten about me?!"

Tapping at the door interrupted our argument. Masuda and Taisuke sauntered into the room and took up the seats on both sides of the desk as if it were completely normal behaviour. Tamaki eyed them warily before disregarding them and going to speak again when Umehito appeared in the doorway as well.

"Suoh-san! How lovely of you to visit my clinic today. What can we help you with?" Umehito entered with a flourish and began tampering with the light settings in the room to dim it even further. "Let me guess, you finally decided to get help on your issues with attachment! How grand, yes."

The friction between the pair increased tenfold, "Not quite. I'm here to speak to my fiancé actually, if the three of you would be so kind to-"

"Oh, are you referring to my young Haruhi here?" Umehito wrapped an arm around my waist and pulled me tightly against his side. The scent of disinfectant and soap filled my nose. "That's quite odd because as far as I was aware, that engagement had been broken off."

The boys at the table had their interest piqued, Masuda pointed at Tamaki with a partially chewed pencil. "How did you end up with that, Miss Fujioka?"

"Yeah, doesn't his hair give you a headache?" The pair shuddered as Taisuke spoke.

"His face is giving me a headache."

"Your face gives everyone a headache."

"Shut up." The duo ended their input with mutual pencil flinging across the desk, completely forgetting about everyone else's presence in the room.

Having brushed off the boys' comments, Tamaki turned back to us with a burning rage flickering in his eyes, "I think you're mistaken. Haruhi?"

I felt cornered; completely unsure of how to act professionally and to still remove Tamaki from the premises. Why did he have to show up on my first night? All the confidence I had felt earlier tonight seemed to have evaporated away. Having my new colleagues witness to my predicament made it all the more embarrassing.

Umehito was watching me with concern before he interjected and came to my rescue. His arm loosened from around me as I turned to face me straight on. "I was going to leave it to a much later time, but I guess now is as good a time as any. My young Haruhi, would you do me the honour of going to dinner with me some time?"

"Huh?"

Taisuke yelled in rejoice, "Love triangle!"

"Juicy, I love it." Masuda leaned forward intently. The drama fed their strange energy and had them bouncing in their seats like children.

"Popcorn, Michi-chan, popcorn!"

Michiko hurriedly wandered along the corridor to join in the calamity as the volume grew. "Why do you need popcorn?"

As the room turned to chaos around me, I attempted to drown out the noise focus on the issues at hand. One: get rid of Tamaki. Two: get back to work and save what little dignity I had left. It was obvious to me that my boss was only trying to rile up his old kouhai. His methods were distasteful but it appeared to be giving me an escape route from this madness. "Um, yes, that would be nice. Thank you, Umehito."

"I have had it!" Tamaki yelled out, silencing the office as he stormed out of the building.

Michiko watched him run through narrowed eyes, which made their beady appearance intensify tenfold. Once he was out of sight, she brightened up considerably and prodded me in the arm to grab my attention. "Are you pressing charges for the data protection he was attempting to break?"

"No, he has been cautioned. A second offence will require the police being called."

Umehito cleared his throat, "If he returns then send him to me, please Michiko."

"No problem, doctor!" She gushed up at him, before shying away as another person entered the room looking a tad confused.

"What's all the commotion? I almost got taken out by some blonde boy outside." The woman stood tall - I would guess around six foot – with waist length waves of golden blonde. She was very striking and seemed to demand the attention of all those around her. "Michiko, reception is unmanned, please rectify that."

The auburn haired nurse turned scarlet and ran from the room, closely followed by a sniggering Taisuke and Masuda. Umehito looked disapprovingly at his watch then up at the woman.

"Ah, Rachel, you finally decided to show up. It's about time!"


End file.
